Suna no Oshiro
by DecemberatMidnight
Summary: In a castle of sand founded in darkness and defended by blood how can Gaara and Matsuri protect light and love? GaaMatsu
1. Chapter 1

Suna no Oshiro

Chapter One

By December at Midnight

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><p>Naruto and its characters are owned by their respective copyright holders.<p>

This is primarily a GaaMatsu story. No bashing, please.

* * *

><p>There were so many feelings Gaara had imagined he would have at this moment. Utter satisfaction was the first emotion that had came to mind, but he had considered others. He thought he might be angry that it took him so long to get here, or that he may feel a twinge of regret that his greatest obstacle had finally been overcome.<p>

The Fourth Kazekage was dead at last.

His corpse rested on a platform erected in the center of village. The casket remained open so that the mourners who made their way through the line to see him knew their leader was truly dead. It was similar to the funerals of the Land of Wind's Feudal Lords and their relatives so that no one could later impersonate the deceased. There would be no pretenders to the throne of the Village Hidden in the Sand.

As children of the late Kazekage, Gaara and his siblings stood behind the casket. Decked in funeral mourning, they collected the villagers' attempts at solace as they passed through the queue. Kankurou was usually the one who accepted their consolation with a hushed but grateful word or two. Temari would speak when spoken to; however, she usually just nodded in acknowledgment of the mourners. As for Gaara, no one uttered a word to him. Occasionally they would give him glances of fear or contempt, but he gave no response. Calm, like a Buddha statue, he simply stood there.

_I couldn't be happier unless I had killed him myself_, is what Gaara would have thought a mere week ago. The new Gaara couldn't discern his thoughts or feelings. He couldn't tell what was going through the minds of his siblings, either. From what he could tell, the villagers' emotions ranged mostly ranged from anger to fear. Anger came from the ninja who had to protect the village which would be a great deal more dangerous now that their pillar was gone. Fear seemed to be what the noncombatants felt. A hidden village without a kage was a vulnerable target.

Gaara's eyes fell to his father's body. They wandered over the features that had mostly passed onto Kankurou, but Gaara could still see bits of himself.

_How alike were we?_ Gaara wondered. It was true that the Fourth had been a ruthless bastard, but those same words could be used to describe him.

_Did he ever see himself in me?_ The moment Gaara paused over his father's eyes he could swear he saw them blink.

Quickly, Gaara glanced to his siblings and then to the mourners. No one seemed to notice what he saw.

Attention snapping back to the coffin, Gaara gasped as his father's corpse stared up at him.

"I know what's on your mind, son," the words croaked out of the Fourth's stiff jaw.

Gaara's eyes darted rapidly about, but no one seemed to notice their Kazekage's resurrection.

"We're more alike than you know," the Fourth sat up in his casket. "We both know what it is to be powerful and to be feared."

Feeling him self take a step backward, Gaara denied his father's piercing words with a shake of his head.

"And now you want to follow in my footsteps as Kazekage?" was his sour chuckle, "Well, don't worry…."

The Fourth grabbed his son by the collar, "…there's enough room in this coffin for two."

"Temari, Kankurou!" Gaara struggled against his father's iron hold. But his siblings stood silently. There wasn't a trace of emotion on their faces.

"Baki, anyone!" he screamed as he was dragged into the casket, "help!"

Gaara's final plea was silenced by the lid slamming shut, and not even a single soul stirred.

* * *

><p>Eyes snapping open, Gaara gasped for air. It didn't take him long to register that instead of being helplessly trapped in the confines of a coffin he was lying on a bed in a darkened hospital room.<p>

_A dream_, Gaara realized. _No, that was a nightmare… but how did I fall asleep?_

The memories came to him in a flash. He recalled Matsuri's abduction, and the mission to save her. The very last thing he remembered was fighting the resurrected Artisan Village leader. Gaara had reduced Seimei into an unrecognizable mass of flesh that corrupted the earth far beneath its surface. Hearing Naruto and Matsuri's voices, Gaara had turned to see them running towards him. Knowing they were safe, he had allowed his weariness to overtake him. He lost consciousness.

That explained how a boy who never slept could have a nightmare, yet he still felt uneasy. Gaara had a hard time accepting that some part of his psyche could concoct a situation in which he would scream for help. He had cried out for Baki of all people.

Struggling to a sitting position, Gaara fought the sting of a dozen injuries. The pain would have been a great deal worse without the medication dripping though an IV into his arm. For a second, he wondered how the medic-nin managed to insert it without his sand shield getting in the way, but then he recalled he had lost his gourd in the battle. He had no sand to protect him.

Scanning the room, he was shocked to see he had a visitor. Matsuri had taken a chair at his bedside where she had fallen asleep. There was a large bandage on her cheek and several smaller ones covering minor wounds. Every scratch cut at his guilt. Matsuri was only involved because of her association with him. If she had only ignored him like her classmates she wouldn't have been hurt.

"Gaara-sensei…?" Matsuri stirred.

"Matsuri, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk with you," she blinked her sleepy eyes. "How are you feeling?"

Gaara's eyes widened with surprise. He wasn't used to people being concerned about his condition, "…I'm fine."

That seemed to be the right answer, because it was met with Matsuri's delighted smile. Although truthfully, it seemed like his entire body was in pain. The gash on his shoulder was particularly bad. He wondered if the medication was doing anything for him at all.

"Gaara-sensei…" Matsuri abruptly stood and bowed before him, "thank you very much."

Gaara could only stare in stunned silence as Matsuri continued. "When I realized I had been kidnapped I was so scared, but then I saw you had come to rescue me, and… I knew everything would be all right."

His gaze fell, "why are you thanking me?"

"What do you mean?"

"They kidnapped you because of me. It was my fault!" Gaara raised his voice only to immediately lower it as he saw fear creep into Matsuri's expression. "Why aren't you angry with me? Why don't you hate me?"

People had despised him for a lot less than what Matsuri had endured. Knowing the girl's gentle nature, Gaara assumed she wouldn't outwardly shown signs of aggression towards him; however, he had no doubt she would shun him like the rest. Yet, here she was, acting as if she hadn't suffered at all.

Matsuri's smile was genuine, yet somewhat sad, "I could never hate you."

"Matsuri…" he was surprised by her sincerity, but then he once again turned away from her. "I don't understand. You saw it, didn't you? My true form…"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Then why don't I frighten you? How can you have the courage to speak to me at night and all alone?"

"I was scared, a little, when we first met. You were so unapproachable and of course I had heard all the rumors…" Matsuri admitted. "And, when you transformed during the battle with Seimei, I was really scared then; however…" she looked him square in the eye, "I may have only known you for a short time, Gaara-sensei, but I know you well enough to understand that isn't your true form."

"Matsuri…"

After fishing something out of her pocket, Matsuri returned to her seat, "I also wanted to thank you for what you taught me."

Revealing her jouhyou, she explained, "Weapons like this used to scare me. Whenever I saw a blade I flashed back to the time when my parents were killed. I never wanted to experience anything like that again… people precious to me dying right before my eyes.

"But you taught me something important," Matsuri managed a soft smile. "If I don't want to loose what's precious then I have to fight to protect it. Weapons can help me do that." She pricked her finger with the jouhyou's blade, "So being cut like this doesn't scare me anymore."

Proudly, Gaara smiled. Once, his student couldn't look at a weapon without trembling in palpable fear, yet now she was able to cut her self without so much as a shudder. Taking hold of her wrist, Gaara drew Matsuri's hand towards his mouth. He licked the blood that trailed down her finger and then sucked on the wound. Marveling at the warm, metallic taste, it took Gaara a long minute to glance at Matsuri's shocked face. Gaara withdrew instantly, a blush rivaling Matsuri's burning on his cheeks.

As if on cue, the neighboring patient moaned in his sleep, "Sakura-chan, you can't eat ramen like that!"

_Is that Naruto?_ Gaara wondered, _what is he dreaming about?_

Nervously, Matsuri laughed, "I also wanted to thank Naruto-san. During the fight he helped me understand what you were trying to teach me. But I guess I'd better wait for some other time."

"I'm looking forward to learning more from you," she bowed again. "That is, if you'll still have me as a student."

"Are you all right with me?" he brought up the conversation they had when he became her teacher.

"Please," Matsuri grinned as she exited. "Get well soon."

Watching her leave, Gaara savored the taste of Matsuri's blood lingering on his tongue.

_So sweet_, he marveled. For the first time since his battle with Naruto he could feel his heart fluttering with excitement. It was very different than the feeling he'd once had when battling strong opponents, but was just as intoxicating. Gaara felt more alive than he had in months.

_Matsuri…_

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><p>Notes:<p>

I've had this story in my head for years, but every time I tried to write it I'd come up with a new idea or grow frustrated with an old one. Even now I'm worried I'll change my mind halfway. On the other hand, I'm pretty proud of the outline, so hopefully I'll finish this fanfiction without any major adjustments.

I look forward to comments and constructive criticism. I find reviews highly motivational so please take the time to write one.


	2. Chapter 2

Suna no Oshiro

Chapter Two

By December at Midnight

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><p>Naruto and its characters are owned by their respective copyright holders.<p>

This is primarily a GaaMatsu story. No bashing, please.

* * *

><p>Gaara had been visited by his siblings the next morning. They had sent a messenger hawk to the Sand upon the completion of the mission and had just received a reply. Their students were being taught by a substitute, so Kankurou and Temari were to get Matsuri caught up with her lessons until Gaara was fit to travel.<p>

Naruto, who had also been injured during the rescue mission, shared the room with Gaara. Other ninja may have found being cooped up with the chatterbox repulsive; however, Gaara considered him self lucky to spend time with his first friend. Naruto talked a good deal about his friends and his dream to become Hokage. He also confided in his fellow Jinchuukiri the frustrations he felt as a village outcaste. Gaara would have liked to remain in Naruto's company, but if he was to recover in peace there was a job that needed to be done.

The higher-ups may have meant for Gaara to recuperate exclusively in the Leaf hospital; however, since his orders didn't specifically state it, Gaara felt comfortable continuing his recovery outside. He probably would have directly disobeyed orders to complete this particular task, and since he finally replenished enough chakra he wasn't about to put it off any longer.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked as Gaara rummaged through his dresser.

"I have to go out for a bit," Gaara answered as he finally located his clothes.

"What for?" the Leaf-nin wouldn't let it go.

"To make a new sand gourd," Gaara closed the dividing curtain so he could dress.

"Sand?" Naruto was shocked. "Where are you going to get sand around here? Are you going to steal it from some kid's sand box?"

"I'll use my chakra to create some out of the earth here."

"Wouldn't it be easier to wait until you got back to the desert?"

"Yes, but it takes three days to get there, and I can't use most of my jutsu without sand," Gaara explained.

"I'll go with you," Naruto began digging into his own dresser. "Afterwards let's go to Ichiraku Ramen!"

Behind the curtain Naruto couldn't see Gaara smile.

* * *

><p>The Jinchuukiri found a quiet spot at the village outskirts Gaara thought was suitable. With a few tired hand-signs, Gaara used his chakra to create sand. Slowly, a new gourd began to form before them.<p>

"You couldn't go even a few days without sand, huh?" Naruto's voice was unusually quiet, "because of the assassins?"

Gaara wasn't quick to answer, "…it's not as bad as it used to be."

Naruto's glance was doubtful, so Gaara explained, "Originally, I joined the regular troops, but that didn't turn out well. The assassination attempts got some of my teammates involved. Baki helped me and my siblings get jobs as instructors. No one wants to risk injuring a child in the crossfire, so it really has been quieter… until recently."

"How about Kankurou and Temari?" he changed the subject, "things going well?"

"It's still awkward sometimes," Gaara admitted. "But I'm able to talk to them more. Kankurou goes out of his way to spend time with me, and Temari and I have similar hobbies. She likes watching plants and I cultivate cacti."

"I like watering plants, too," Naruto's agreeable tone grew defensive when he caught Gaara's glance, "what?"

"It's just not a hobby I'd picture for you."

"I can't see you growing cactuses, either."

"Cacti," Gaara corrected.

"Whatever. Let's just hurry to Ichiraku. I'm starving."

Nodding, Gaara put the finishing touches on his gourd, "let's go."

* * *

><p>At Ichiraku, Naruto ordered for them both, saying Gaara would love the extra egg. Gaara could only look on with envy as his friend chattered with the storeowner with warm familiarity. At best, the vendors in the Sand treated him with visible wariness. At worst, they refused to serve him.<p>

"So you became an instructor and you got a cute student," said Naruto through slurps of ramen. "You're so lucky."

"Matsuri was the only one out of her entire class to pick me," the faint smile on Gaara's face grew stern. "I thought she would hate me after what happened, but instead she's grateful I rescued her… Nobody's ever thanked me like that before."

"Sounds like you made a friend," Naruto grinned.

_A friend…,_ Gaara blinked with surprise, "I guess I did."

"As for me, I think I'm jealous," Naruto pouted. "I'd love to hear Sakura-chan call me 'sensei.'"

"Who in their right mind would ever call you sensei?" growled an angry voice behind them.

"Ah…Sakura…chan," Naruto fearfully turned to face his teammate. "This isn't what it looks like."

"It looks like you're eating ramen when you should be in the hospital!"

"Well then, it's exactly what it looks like, but…"

Naruto was interrupted by Sakura's fist slamming into his face. "I'm taking you back and telling the doctors to chain you to your bed…" The kunoichi continued to rant as she dragged Naruto to the hospital. Wordlessly, Gaara followed them. With his gourd strapped to back, he was comfortable completing his recovery.

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><p>The remainder of Gaara's hospital stay was uneventful and he soon found himself returning home with his siblings and student. The trip back to the Village Hidden in the Sand was a relatively short one for ninja. It only took a shinobi three days to make the journey. But on this trip, the sand siblings were traveling with a trainee so they moved slower. Matsuri had no trouble keeping up with them on the ground, but taking the treetop route she could only manage a sluggish pace. Gaara had suggested they continue jumping from tree to tree so his student could practice; however, Temari and Kankurou's patience soon grew short, and the quartet returned to walking on the trail.<p>

It had been decided that Gaara would serve best as rearguard. Kankurou and Temari took turns leading while Matsuri stayed in the relatively safe middle. Gaara was happy to find his siblings took initiative in teaching Matsuri. Kankurou gave pointers on how to stay alert for enemies while Temari told her about the local plants.

Around twilight the Sand ninja came across a river. Temari and Kankurou strolled on the water without a second thought. It wasn't until after they crossed that they realized their younger brother and his student weren't with them.

Matsuri looked to her teacher, "Gaara-sensei I…"

She didn't need to finish the sentence. Gaara knew well she hadn't been taught the walk-on-water technique. Without a word he scooped her into his arms. Matsuri's face was aflame as he carried her across the water.

_This feeling…_ Gaara's blood was heated with excitement. _It's like I'm alive again…_

Upon reaching the other side, Gaara gently let Matsuri down.

"Thank you, Gaara-sensei," she said.

"Don't worry about it," he replied. His outward response was nonchalant while inwardly his heart threatened to beat out of his ribcage.

Temari and Kankurou exchanged glances. Before Gaara could ask what their looks were about, Kankurou decided he had enough for the day:

"It's getting late. Let's find a place to camp."

* * *

><p>The crescent moon was scarcely visible through the treetops, but only Gaara was awake to admire it anyway. Comforted that Gaara was the only night watchman they needed, the others had gone to bed hours ago. Kankurou fell asleep the instantly. He was now sprawled out like a dog expecting to get his belly scratched. Eventually Temari slept as well, but she had flopped about like a fish for a while. Gaara wondered if he should tell Kankurou that Temari cursed Nara Shikamaru for being lazy in her sleep. Certainly, Kankurou wouldn't let their big sister live it down if he did.<p>

Matsuri was curled up like a kitten. He admired her gentle, sleeping face in the firelight. Several strands of her brown hair tickled her cheek. Gaara's pulse raced as he brushed them away. Once again he felt the rush of life coursing through his veins.

"What are you doing to me?" he asked her.

As if in response, Matsuri's eyelids began to flutter. Gaara realized she was dreaming.

"Father… Mother…" a single tear dripped down her cheek. "Don't leave me alone."

'Don't leave me alone,' Gaara could hear his child self echoing her cry. Memories unfolded in his consciousness, but Gaara shook them away.

Matsuri continued to cry for her parents. Gaara debated waking her until she began to thrash about. Temari and Kankurou wouldn't appreciate the noise, and Matsuri deserved more restful sleep.

"Matsuri, wake up," he ordered, "Matsuri!"

Snapping into a sitting position, Matsuri took several deep breaths before she seemed to recognize her surroundings.

"You were having a nightmare," Gaara informed her.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

He shook his head, "you should go back to sleep."

"I can't sleep now," she climbed out of her sleeping bag.

Gaara looked Matsuri over. Her brow was creased with worry, and her skin was pale with fear. In this peaceful time there weren't many ninja her age who could understand the horror she had witnessed. Gaara could. He knew her lonely eyes as he knew his own.

"Matsuri, how did your parents die?"

Confused, she could only stare at him.

Not able to meet her gaze, Gaara explained, "Talking about it… it helps."

"Gaara-sensei…" she smiled before turning back towards the fire. "Honestly, I don't remember most of it."

"…?" it was Gaara's turn to stare in confusion.

"I only have fragmented memories of that night," she elaborated. "The Medical Ninja said it's because of the trauma… That's why I have nightmares. The memories I've suppressed are trying to surface in my sleep."

"What do you remember?"

Tucking her knees under her chin, Matsuri began, "I remember running through the woods with my parents. We were escaping from someone… I'm not really sure who it was, or how many of them there were. I do have vague impressions of shadowy figures in the trees, but…" she breathed deeply. "The next thing I remember is the moment Father and Mother were killed. I was almost stabbed by a thrown sword. I fell over and when I looked up I saw them impaled by so many weapons…"

Matsuri hugged her legs closer, "After that my memory goes blank again. The next thing I remember is being in the forest, alone. The people who killed my parents are gone, and I go to find their bodies. I see them… skewered. It started to rain and I got so cold. I huddled next to my parents' corpses and thought I was going to die there, too… until ninja from our village came to save me."

"Do they know who killed your parents?"

Her voice grew quiet, "Rounin, wandering ninja."

"I've dealt with them before."

"Are they strong?"

"It depends on their numbers, but they can certainly be a nuisance. Temari, Kankurou, and I were sent on a mission to eradicate them from the Land of Wind. Some managed to flee to the Land of Birds where a large number of Rounin were gathered. A report from the Leaf says one of the survivors used a cheap imitation of my jutsu."

"My parents were strong. They wanted me to become strong, too. But without them here…I…" Tears were streaming down Matsuri's face, "I'm sorry. I know shinobi aren't supposed to cry."

"There are plenty of ninja in the Sand who would tell you to harden your heart. I'm not one of them. I've tread down the path void of emotion. It leads to a dark place."

"I just miss them so much," she wept quietly.

Unsure of what to say, Gaara desperately wished Naruto were there. He had no idea how to comfort her, but he couldn't stand just sitting there while she was upset, either. Pursing his lips, Gaara thought frantically about what would console him, and only one thing came to mind.

"Matsuri…" it took all his effort to meet her eyes, "you're not alone."

She smiled though her tears, "thank you."

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><p>Notes:<p>

I mentioned Gaara's sand gourd because I noticed he has it in episode 220 even though he had clearly lost it during the mission.

Please take the time to comment!


	3. Chapter 3

Suna no Oshiro

Chapter Three

By December at Midnight

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><p>Naruto and its characters are owned by their respective copyright holders.<p>

This is primarily a GaaMatsu story. No bashing, please.

* * *

><p>Gaara, Matsuri, Kankurou, and Temari had scarcely set foot inside the Sand village when a messenger relayed orders for them to report to the Jounin Council. Their homecoming consisted of standing before a dozen stern men and describing their mission in precise detail. The councilmen were baffled to learn from Gaara that he had repressed Shukaku in the heat of battle, and some refused to believe it even when the others testified that they had witnessed it. The siblings and student were dismissed to the roar of debate. As the door to the council chamber shut they overheard a man demand Gaara's punishment for lying to his superiors.<p>

Outside the doorway, Baki was waiting for them with another ninja.

"It's about time you returned," Baki greeted them. "This is Reki. He's been teaching your class. Reki, this is Temari, Kankurou, Gaara, and their student."

"I already know Matsuri," Reki smiled at the girl. "It's good to see you returned safely."

"I'm glad to be back," Matsuri acknowledged before bowing to her rescuers, "thank you all again."

Gaara nodded, "see you later."

"Be careful on your way home," Kankurou added.

"I was on the team that was sent after her parents," Reki explained as Matsuri departed. "The poor thing was shivering next to their corpses in the pouring rain. It's sad to see someone so young suffer so much."

"Her parents…" Baki thought out loud, "If I recall her father was Masaru, wasn't he?"

"Senior Jounin Masaru?" asked Temari, "Matsuri's father was a council member?"

"Yeah, that Yuura guy took over Masaru's seat after he and his wife were killed," Kankurou remembered.

Baki brought an end to sudden silence by changing the subject, "Well, I brought Reki so he could bring you three up to speed with your students' progress. For the Sand's future, it's important that this new curriculum succeed." With that, Baki quickly exited, saying he was busy with other matters.

"Speaking of the council," Kankurou noted as soon as Baki was out of earshot, "this new training program may get Baki a seat. We may have got the curriculum from helping teach the Leaf students, but he was the one who introduced the idea to the higher-ups."

"He didn't do it to gain power," Temari defended her teacher. "He's only thinking about the Sand."

Kankurou shrugged.

"Let's go to the academy," Reki suggested. "I left my files there. I can go over them with you three."

* * *

><p>After reviewing Reki's notes and creating a new lesson plan of their own, the siblings parted ways. Gaara took the long way home. He had a lot on his mind and he preferred to walk out his thoughts.<p>

From the second the council had sent him to rescue Matsuri Gaara had known it was a trap. They wanted him to fail so that they would no longer have to deal with Shukaku. While he was used to others considering his life disposable Gaara had been outraged they so easily disregarded Matsuri's safety. She was a citizen of the Sand and they were supposed to protect her. Learning that her father had been a councilman further fueled his anger. Apparently, getting rid of Gaara was more important than the life of their former colleague's daughter.

At the time Gaara had shoved his rage aside. After all, he would have gone after Matsuri even if the council had forbidden it. Now he suppressed his fury because it would summon the One-Tail, and Gaara wouldn't risk the safety of others.

Approaching a playground, Gaara was distracted from his thoughts by the sound of laughter. Children giggled as they climbed on animal-shaped equipment. An older sister scolded her brother for running too far away from her. A boy was scooped into his mother's arms. Smiling, the mother hugged her child, but as she turned to see Gaara her face grew sour. Holding her son defensively, the mother hurriedly escaped. When the brother and sister noticed him they ran away too, and soon the entire playground was empty.

_I've kept Shukaku at bay for so long, yet they still run at the sight of me_, Gaara clenched his fist. _How long until they accept me?_

A small part of him argued that they would never accept him. He should have stayed the way he was. It wouldn't hurt so much if he had.

Shaking his head, Gaara forced the dark feelings away. _I knew it wouldn't be easy when I made my decision. I won't give up. My resolve isn't that weak._

Looking around, Gaara could see there were other people staring at him. Shopkeepers sneered and their customers whispered harshly to each other. A passerby spit when Gaara caught his eye.

_My resolve isn't that weak_, Gaara reminded himself.

Spinning on his heel, Gaara was about to leave when he heard someone calling his name.

"Gaara-sensei!" he recognized Matsuri's voice.

Jogging towards Gaara, Matsuri had to dodge children fleeing from his shadow. She juggled her groceries into one arm and used her free hand to wave at him, "Gaara-sensei!"

"Matsuri…" Gaara breathed. He almost didn't believe that someone was actually happy to see him, but he couldn't doubt that it was Matsuri's voice calling out to him. It wasn't a mistake that she was smiling as she ran to him.

"Gaara-sensei," Matsuri caught her breath as she approached. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing in particular," he replied. "What about you?"

"Just some shopping," she shrugged her groceries. "I had a craving for sukiyaki."

Glancing about, Gaara could see the strangers who had been glaring at him were now starring daggers at Matsuri. Either Matsuri didn't notice or she didn't care, because she continued to chat with him, "I have an idea. Why don't you join me?"

"'Join you…,'" Gaara repeated. "You mean, eat together?"

"If you don't want to its okay," Matsuri assured him. "It's just that I always make too much, and it would be nice to have some company."

"No… it's fine," he agreed.

"Great," her smile grew wider. "My house is a little far. I hope you don't mind."

* * *

><p><em>What is this?<em> Gaara wondered. _I feel so light and energized…_

_Am I happy?_ He realized. _Yes, this sensation… is happiness._

His eyes fell on the petite figure walking beside him. Matsuri pointed to the road they would take next and Gaara couldn't help but remember tasting the blood dripping from that finger. The feeling he had experienced that time was similar to the elated one he had now, yet it was deeper somehow. She had given him that peculiar emotion again when he had carried her across the river and when he had brushed the hair away from her sleeping face. It had felt fiery and exciting and incredibly addictive. Touch seemed to be the factor that bound those situations together. Gaze fixated on her, Gaara contemplated touching her once more just so he could experience that rush again. He could offer to carry her groceries and his fingers could 'accidentally' sweep across hers...

"Gaara-sensei…" Matsuri spoke suddenly.

"Yes?" his voice remained even while his insides boiled with embarrassment.

_Get it together, Gaara,_ he told himself.

"Is it always like this?" she nodded to the people watching them contemptuously.

"Yeah," he confirmed.

"I see," she looked depressed.

"It's all right if you want me to go," Gaara offered. "They're only staring at you because of me."

"I'm fine," said Matsuri resolutely. Then her voice grew sadder, "I'm just worried about you, Gaara-sensei."

"Matsuri…" Gaara couldn't hide his surprise.

"Someday," she sounded certain. "Someday I'm sure they'll see the Gaara-sensei I see."

"What 'me' do you see?"

"I'm not sure how to describe it any other way than this," Matsuri began. "After Mother and Father died I didn't have anyone. The friends I used to play with couldn't understand me, and the adults didn't have any pity to spare. It may sound strange but in class when you seriously tried to answer my question about weapons you showed me the most consideration I've received since my parents' funeral.

"So even if everyone else fails to understand you," he was surprised by the sincerity in her eyes, "I'll always stand by your side."


	4. Chapter 4

Suna no Oshiro

Chapter Four

By December at Midnight

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><p>Naruto and its characters are owned by their respective copyright holders.<p>

This is primarily a GaaMatsu story. No bashing, please.

* * *

><p>Matsuri hadn't been exaggerating when she claimed her home was far from the marketplace. It was located on the outskirts of the village. The distance had afforded her family the luxury of a small house as opposed to the apartments the village's space shortage forced others into, but Gaara wondered how Matsuri's father, a councilman, had managed to live so far from the village center.<p>

"I'm sorry about the mess," Matsuri apologized as she ushered him in, "I only had time for a quick cleaning before I went shopping."

In spite of Matsuri's warning Gaara found the house meticulously clean. He detected the vague scent of jasmine that Matsuri carried with her wherever she went.

The house had whitewashed walls and furniture in warm colors. Photographs decorated the furnishings and walls. It looked like the home of a happy couple and their beloved child; however, with Masaru and his wife dead it felt empty, as if the house itself was mourning their loss.

Leading Gaara into the living room, Matsuri looked at his gourd, "doesn't that get heavy?"

"I'm used to it," he shrugged but removed his gourd anyway. Usually, Gaara kept it close in foreign environments, yet he was comfortable enough with Matsuri that setting it down didn't give him pause.

As he leaned his gourd against a chair something on the coffee table caught his eye. It was an unbound manuscript and a notebook.

"That's…!" gasping, Matsuri snatched the papers. "I didn't think I had left these out here."

"I apologize if I did something to offend you," Gaara's voice remained even, but he was concerned about her stark white face.

Clutching the papers to her chest, Matsuri took a deep breath. Slowly, she relaxed her grip, "no. No, you didn't do anything wrong, Gaara-sensei.

"I'm going to share my secret with you," she gently set the papers back on the table. "Actually it's my mother's secret."

Matsuri fetched a photograph from the mantle, "this is my mother, Rima."

"You look a lot like her," Gaara noted.

"Yeah, pretty much the only thing I got from Father was his hair. I was always complaining to Mother that I wanted her soft red hair instead of this spiky brown. She would laugh and say that would make me her carbon copy. I told her I didn't mind. She was so pretty…"

With a sad sigh, Matsuri returned to her original point, "Mother was from the Land of Whirlpools."

"She was a survivor of the Village Hidden in the Whirling Tides?"

"Yes, and she was considered a genius at fuinjutsu, sealing techniques, even among a village that specialized in it. She gave up her shinobi career when she married Father, but she continued to research fuinjutsu. I would watch her study and I begged her to teach me.

"Father agreed with Mother that studying fuinjutsu would make me a better shinobi, but he didn't like it. I never understood why until he caught me reading this," Matsuri handed Gaara a manuscript from the pile on the table.

Gaara thumbed through the pages, "is this a manual on fuinjutsu?"

"Yes, Mother wrote it. She said it was her way of preserving her old village's culture. She told me to read it in secret, but Father found it. He confronted Mother and… I'd never seen them fight like that before."

"Why did it make your father angry?"

"Because he was afraid of what other ninja would do with it if they found it."

"The shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Whirling Tides were targeted because of their prowess in fuinjutsu. It's not surprising he feared these techniques falling into the wrong hands, but all knowledge can be misused."

When Matsuri didn't respond Gaara took a closer look at the manuscript. He was shocked to find incredibly complex diagrams and text. Matsuri was capable of understanding theories that would baffle someone twice her age.

Gaara returned the manuscript, "thank you for sharing your secret with me. I will not divulge that you possess such knowledge."

"A lot of the other villagers know my mother's history, and I plan on practicing fuinjutsu when I become a ninja. I'm just concerned about Mother's research. She wanted to keep it in the family."

"I will tell no one about it."

"I know," Matsuri smiled. "I trust you, Gaara-sensei."

* * *

><p>Gaara had little to do but stand in the kitchen and watch Matsuri prepare dinner. He was curious about what she was doing. After all, he hadn't had a home-cooked meal since Yashamaru died. Gaara's meals usually consisted of convenience store food. The only deviant from that routine was on missions when he consumed food pills and trail rations.<p>

However, despite his fascination with Matsuri's cooking, Gaara found his attention wandering back to the living room. His eyes kept falling on a picture of a much younger Matsuri held by her mother. He had never seen Matsuri smile like she did in that photograph.

"Gaara-sensei?" she seemed concerned about his expression. "Is something wrong?"

Shaking his head, Gaara returned his focus to his student. Matsuri nodded before turning back to her task.

"Matsuri," he spoke after a momentary pause. "Your mother was from the Village Hidden in the Whirling Tides. Was she a member of the Uzumaki clan?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean your name is Uzumaki Matsuri?"

"No, my parents wanted me to be fully accepted by the Sand. So like all of the other villagers, I don't have a family name. I'm Matsuri of the Sand."

"It's strange to think that I'm distantly related to Naruto-san, huh? I guess since the survivors of the Whirling Tides scattered throughout the continent I have distant relations all over."

"It's not that strange."

"Hmm?" she tiled her head, confused.

"You are quite similar to Naruto."

"What do you mean?"

"You both have to work hard, but you don't run away from it. You just sweat through the extra practice."

She grinned, "I remember when you caught me training after all my classmates had gone home. That's when you taught me about the other purpose of weapons."

_Hard work isn't the only trait you two share. Matsuri, you approached me even when your peers turned away. Like Naruto, you were able to see the true me. _

* * *

><p>Dinner was uneventful, and Gaara soon found himself saying goodbye to Matsuri on her doorstep.<p>

"I'll see you later, Matsuri."

Matsuri grinned, "Thanks for coming over for dinner. I hope you liked it."

Gaara nodded before he turned to leave. The gesture didn't fully convey his feelings, but he wasn't sure how to express his gratitude. Matsuri was the first girl to cook for him, and it had been the most delicious meal he could remember tasting.

_I've experienced so many firsts with Matsuri. She's the first person to really thank me, the first to look truly happy to see me, and the first to say she trusts me. She's the first true friend I've made since Naruto. _

Looking back, Gaara could see Matsuri waving goodbye to him. The smile she wore was so astounding it stopped him in his tracks. It took mountains of his willpower to get himself walking before she could notice the irregularity in his steps.

…_And she's the first to make me feel this way. _

As soon as he left Matsuri's field of vision, Gaara placed his hand over his rapidly beating heart. He used to require Matsuri's touch to experience that peculiar feeling. Now, all she had to do was smile at him.

* * *

><p>Notes: The "ri" in Matsuri and Rima's names is the kanji character for jasmine. Of course, Matsuri doesn't have official kanji, but I'm assuming her name means "Arabian jasmine."<p> 


End file.
